Seven bands come on board, and the concert venue casts off. The Riverboat special combines traditional jazz with a cruise on the Elbe. Festooned paddle steamers and saloon ships of Sächsischen Dampfschiffahrt carry the music onto the water. From Terrassenufer in front of Dresden's Old Town, the route heads upstream toward Pillnitz.

The bands come from Germany, Portugal, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands and are distributed across the boats. They turn the river journey into a musical format in which the scenery is anything but a mere footnote. Passing the Elbschlösser and the Blaues Wunder, the route leads through the Elbe Valley. The ships carry two things at once: jazz on board and their own history. Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt has been operating on the Elbe since 1836. Its nine paddle steamers date from 1879 to 1929 and are listed as historic monuments. On ships like these, the combination of jazz and river cruising takes on a special historical setting. The music of the early jazz era meets vessels whose construction dates back well into the 19th century.

That the two go together has precedents on another river. Around 1920, shipping companies on the Mississippi hired bands for their excursion steamers. The young Louis Armstrong also played with Fate Marable back then. There, jazz was part of a voyage, not just a program in a hall. The Dresden Riverboat idea builds on this connection: the festival developed its flagship format in 1995 for its 25th anniversary.

The special cruise gives this idea its own place in the programme, with seven bands and the Elbe Valley as a moving concert backdrop. Returning to Terrassenufer, the cruise ends in front of the Old Town. Warm, windproof clothing is recommended for time spent on the open decks. The view may be far-reaching; the jacket should stay within easy reach.